Comment about the high cost of college courses: Most of my life they were quite reasonable, but about fifteen years ago I was shocked at the per unit price they quoted. The young woman at the registration desk said, “If you’re over fifty (delightful young thing ), you can qualify for the senior citizen rate.” I checked and found that I could take all the courses I wanted at the total rate of $30 per semester. Jules, I don’t know how old you are, but you might check to see if they offer reduced prices for older students.
Occam
I’ve got a few years to go before I qualify for a discount The local schools do offer a discount to those over a certain age - however, no credits toward a degree if you accept the discount. It’s for enjoyment purposes only. They do have a wonderful program that lets Veterans take any classes towards a degree for free. They only have to purchase their own textbooks.
I’m looking into other fully online degree programs, but want something that is NOT a business degree (sick of business courses, I’ve had enough) and offered by a reputable non-profit university rather than these awful for-profit “University of Phoenix” places. I can’t find anything else fully online. They all require you to attend classes at their location part of the time, which working full time and having to mind my child at night, is difficult.
That is why it took me years to get the current degree. I could only take weekend classes or an occasional night class. The online courses they had were VERY handy but there were only about six of them available. The rest I had to drive to the school for.
Oh well, for now it’s fun to get my dreaded “General Studies” degree in a couple weeks. Gosh the name of it sounds awful!
Yeah, but look at it this way. Those who specialize and continue through advanced degrees learn more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing.
The name General Studies does sound awful, but if I don’t go to UT it is an option for me. I maybe could do it at UT also, but it is very hard for transfer students to get into that degree plan. And UT calls it a degree in Humanities. Sounds a lot more impressive on a resumé, but the concept is the same: a roll-your-own degree plan.
Speaking of roll-your-own degree plans, I applied to St. Edward’s University in Austin in early June. I received an official acceptance letter yesterday, and have appointments with a degree advisor and a financial aid advisor. St. Eds has a program for nontraditional students which they call New College. Most of the the classes are in the evenings at a North Austin branch. I have been accepted into the New College and will pursue an Individualized Bachelor of Arts degree. This entails 18 hours on one discipline, and 12 hours each in two other disciplines in addition to the normal degree requirements, most of which I have already completed in community college.
Looks like I’ll be an official junior in college this fall rather than a third-year freshman at community college. It may take me three years to graduate, as I am going to seek a part-time job to pay for the tuition.
Edit: Forgot to mention, I’m thinking of taking 18 hours of psychology, 12 hours of history and 12 hours of philosophy. I already have 6 hours of philosophy (Major World Religions and Ethics) behind me, so I’ll probably take Symbolic Logic and Theory of Knowledge. I want to take as many history of science courses as possible. One huge advantage of St. Eds is that if I find a course they don’t offer I just need to get the course syllabus and textbook from another university and St. Eds will find a qualified professor to guide me through the course individually. I found a course titled History of Mathematics in Persia that sounds interesting.
My goal is to get into the History and Philosophy of Science graduate program at The University of Texas at Austin. I have already talked to a guidance counselor there, and this undergraduate degree plan will get me into a Liberal Arts graduate program at UT, assuming I keep my grades high enough, of course.
BTW, St. Edward’s University is the same school where my wife studied for her Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Ethics, which she received in August 2010.
Speaking of roll-your-own degree plans, I applied to St. Edward’s University in Austin in early June. I received an official acceptance letter yesterday, and have appointments with a degree advisor and a financial aid advisor. St. Eds has a program for nontraditional students which they call New College. Most of the the classes are in the evenings at a North Austin branch. I have been accepted into the New College and will pursue and Individualized Bachelor of Arts degree. This entails hours on one discipline, and 12 hours each in two other disciplines in addition to the normal degree requirements, most of which I have already completed in community college.
Looks like I’ll be an official junior in college this fall rather than a third-year freshman and community college. It may take me three years to graduate, as I am going to seek a part-time job to pay for the tuition.
Best of luck with it, Darron. More courageous steps.
Jules
I’ve got a few years to go before I qualify for a discount The local schools do offer a discount to those over a certain age - however, no credits toward a degree if you accept the discount. It’s for enjoyment purposes only. They do have a wonderful program that lets Veterans take any classes towards a degree for free. They only have to purchase their own textbooks
Somehow that sounds wrong.
If you have financial issues, what your attendance and learning does not officially count as knowledge (a possible scholarship), because your only motivation must have been your enjoyment, but not your desire to advance yourself?
As a vet you don’t have to pay (the government pays) and it still officially counts towards a degree, regardless if you take it for your pleasure or toward a degree.
Of course if you are rich, your daddy can make a large donation to the school and they will give you your credits, regardless of attendance or if you actually learn anything at all.
So your “knowledge” only counts if you have the ability to pay for it. Do I hear a bid?
Of course if you are rich, your daddy can make a large donation to the school, and they will give you your credits, regardless if you actually learn anything.
So your “knowledge” only counts if you have the ability to pay for it. Do I hear a bid?
Of course if you are rich, your daddy can make a large donation to the school, and they will give you your credits, regardless if you actually learn anything.
So your “knowledge” only counts if you have the ability to pay for it. Do I hear a bid?
The Yale snark was a joke, directly mostly at GW Bush and John Kerry. I doubt either of them ever had much knowledge to retain.
Well apparently GW learned how to shoot the breeze while gulping a few beers at the local bar. Is that not why he was elected?
Kerry only learned how to sound presidential and today that is a nono for a candidate for the highest office.
Darron, the other point I would like to add, there is a good reason the private school can get you in and out so quickly. They give you the requisite courses, but there can be no breadth of courses you would get from the public school to further round your education/knowledge. I think it is a point which also deserves consideration. There is a reason why colleges turn out ‘Michelle Bachmanns’.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, Asanta. One of the reasons I applied to St. Edwards is the breadth of courses offered. It is a small liberal arts college, but has an outstanding academic reputation. One of the reasons St. Eds can get me out so quickly is that, being a private college, they can count the courses I took in the 1980s, so I won’t have to repeat some of them.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, Asanta. One of the reasons I applied to St. Edwards is the breadth of courses offered. It is a small liberal arts college, but has an outstanding academic reputation. One of the reasons St. Eds can get me out so quickly is that, being a private college, they can count the courses I took in the 1980s, so I won’t have to repeat some of them.
Wow! There’s almost always a time limit on those things. Thirtyish years is generous - and well worth the savings in time.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, Asanta. One of the reasons I applied to St. Edwards is the breadth of courses offered. It is a small liberal arts college, but has an outstanding academic reputation. One of the reasons St. Eds can get me out so quickly is that, being a private college, they can count the courses I took in the 1980s, so I won’t have to repeat some of them.
Well, that covers THAT concern! There are some colleges which can get you in and out quickly, simply because they do not require any courses outside of your major. There are some nursing schools like that… If you have no innate curiosity, you get nothing else…
), you can qualify for the senior citizen rate.” I checked and found that I could take all the courses I wanted at the total rate of $30 per semester. Jules, I don’t know how old you are, but you might check to see if they offer reduced prices for older students.
The local schools do offer a discount to those over a certain age - however, no credits toward a degree if you accept the discount. It’s for enjoyment purposes only. They do have a wonderful program that lets Veterans take any classes towards a degree for free. They only have to purchase their own textbooks.
If you have no innate curiosity, you get nothing else… 
